Ms Carolyn Steyn

Carolyn Steyn holds and honours degree in Speech and Drama from the University of the Witwatersrand and a T.L.S.D. (Teacher's Licentiate in Speech and Drama) from the University of South Africa. Carolyn lived in the United States for ten years and in England for five years. She was nominated as one of the 'Most Exciting Women', by the Beverly Hills Sheet in 2004. In the US she studied at the Beverly Hills Playhouse for five years under acting guru, Milton Katselas along with fellow students Kate Hudson, Giovanni Ribisi, Jeffrey Tambor, Tony Danza and Doris Roberts amongst others. She had roles in the television series' Melrose Place and Babylon 5 and appeared in numerous plays in Los Angeles including Harold Pinter's 'Betrayal', 'Private Lives' and 'Shadowlands'.

In South Africa, Carolyn performed for PACT (Performing Arts Company of the Transvaal) Drama for several years. notably in the production "Poppie Nongena", which ran for an entire year to rave reviews. Carolyn then joined the Radion 5 team (5FM), where she became a familiar voice reading the news and co-hosting the weekend breakfast show with Martin Locke. Carolyn currently co-hosts a Radio Today show called 'Whispers with Carolyn Steyn and Michael de Pinna' and is a host on the televison show "Tongue in Cheek" on SABC 3. She also serves as a Patron of the Joburg Ballet, the Patron of the Auto & General Theatre on the Square and a Naledi Theatre Awards judge and "Arts Angel". She is an ambassador for "Peace Starts" in South Africa.

Carolyn specialises in voice-overs for radion and television. Recent voice-overs include the Colgate television commercial for various international territories as well as promotional voice-overs for M-Net television.

Carolyn is the Founder for 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day, a "little initiative with a big heart" which has thousands of members not only in South Africa but also around the world. Last year Carolyn shot scenes for 'Generations', Africa's most popular soapie. She played the role of 'Carolyn Steyn', Founder of 67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day. She will be returning to Generations in 2015 to do a "call to action" for South Africa to create 21 000 blankets by 21 April 2015 to lay at the feet of the statue of Nelson Mandela at the Union Buildings and to cover the grounds in a sea of blankets to celebrate 21 years of democracy in South Africa.

67 Blankets for Nelson Mandela Day has recently celebrated its first anniversary at the Nelson Mandela Foundation. It has realised many milestones in its first year of existence, including winning the coveted Campaign of The Year at the South African of the Year Awards (against corporate giants Coca-Cola, Kellogs, KFC and Knorr) and has been described as an initiative that is "binding together a nation in a way no government has been able to do."

Carolyn Steyn matriculated from Jeppe High School for Girls in 1977.

She went on to complete a BA Honours Degree in Dramatic Art at the University of the Witwatersrand in 1981.

She also completed a TLSD with Distinction at UNISA.

In 1982, Carolyn began performing for PACT Drama, notably in the production Poppie Nongena, which ran for an entire year. Poppie Nongena, which starred Nomsa Nene as Poppie, opened in Soweto and toured the entire country.

At PACT, Carolyn also ran various school programmes and featured in the plays like Hotel Paradiso and Robin van der Merwe of Knysa Forest.

Carolyn joined Radio 5 Team (5FM) in 1985, where she became a familiar voice reading the news and co-hosting the weekend breakfast show with Martin Locke.

In 1989, Carolyn moved to California to study at the Beverly Hills Playhouse under acting guru, Milton Katselas.

In the US, Carolyn had roles in the televison series' Melrose Place, The Larry Sanders Show and Babylon 5.

She also appeared in numerous plays in Los Angeles like Harold Pinter's Betrayal, Private Lives at the La Mirada Playhouse, and Shadowlands which was produced by the late former Governor of Michigan, George Romney.